# Christ's Regrettable Reticence explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Mina Loy.

## What happens

Ova grapples with the mysterious and hidden nature of Jesus, whom she imagines as a shy, gentle presence. She wishes he would reveal himself openly, and is comforted by a housemaid's tale of Jesus dipping his hand in a sauce-tureen and offering absolution for childish misdeeds. Her credulous imagination eagerly accepts these sparse religious consolations.

## Themes in this chapter

### Childhood and Innocence

Ova's naive and credulous imagination shapes her understanding of Jesus, highlighting the innocence and vulnerability of childhood belief.

### Religion and Mythology

The chapter explores Ova's personal mythology of Jesus as a shy savior, blending religious narrative with childish fantasy.

## Character check-ins

### Ova

Ova contemplates the hidden nature of Jesus, wishing he would come out into the open, and is influenced by a housemaid's story about absolution.

## Key lines

> Oh why wouldn’t the Gentle come out —into the open and just show them?

Ova wonders why Jesus does not reveal himself openly to everyone.

_Expresses Ova's longing for a tangible, visible divine presence._

> He dipped his hand in the sauce—tureen and allowed his disciples to do the same

The housemaid tells Ova that Jesus dipped his hand in a sauce tureen and had his disciples do the same.

_A distorted or folkloric retelling of the Last Supper, emphasizing communal sharing and absolution._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/christ-s-regrettable-reticence
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_17_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters